Apparatus for developing photographic prints and the like



B. .1. HALL.

Oct. 6, l1931.

APPARATUS FOR DEVELOPING PHOTOGRAPHIE PRINTS ANDTVH'E L'IKE FiladAug. 20, 1928 9 Sheets-Sheet l fr. c?

ocrw 6, 1931. B1 HALL 1,825,728.

APPARATUS FOR DEVELOPING PHOTOGRAPHIC PRINTS A'ND THE LIKE Filed Aug. 20, 1928 "-9 'Sheets-Sheet 2 O HHH a. J. Hm. 1,825,723

9 Sheets-Sheet 5 Filed Aug.A 20, 1928 I l I I T l I l I I I I APPARATUS FOR DEVELOPING PHOTOGRAPHIG PRINTS AND THE LIKE ct. 6, 1931. l

)ENTOEJ II II IIIII.

B. J. HALL 1,825,728 APPARATUS FOR DEVELOPING PHOTOGRAPHIC fRINTS AND THE LIKE" l oct.6,1931.

Filed Aug. 20. 1928 `9 Sheets-Sheet 4 l A y willu B. J. HALL Oct. 6, 1931.

APPARATUS FOR DEVELOPING PHOTOGRAPHIC PRINTS AND THE LIKE f Filed Aug: 120, 1928 9 Sheets-Sheet B. J. HALL 1,825,728

APPARATUS FOR DEVELOPING PHOTOGRAPHIC PRINTS ND THE LIKE Oct. 6, 1931.

Filed Aug. 20, 1928 9 Sheets-Sheet 6 TLLIIJ Il IIIIIIIIIIIL B. J. HALL oct. e, 1931..

APPARATUS FOR DEVELOPING PvHOTOGRAPI-IIC PRINTS AND THE LIKE Filed Aug. 20, 1928 9 Sheets-Sheet 7 Oct. 6, 1931. B. J. HALL 1,825,728

APPARATUS FOR DEVELOPING PHOTOGRAPHIC PRINTS AND THE LIKE Filed Aug. 20, 1928 9 Sheets-Sheet 8 Oct. 6, 1931. B. .1. HALL. 1,825,728

APPARATUS FOR DEVELOPING PHOTOGRAPHIC PRINTS AND THE LIKE Filed Aug. 20, 1928 9 Sheets-Sheet 9 /NVENTO/Z.

Patented Oct. 6, 1931 UNITED STATES BENJAMIN LAMES HALL, OF

PATENT OFFICE APPARATUS FOR DEVELOPING PHOTOGRAPHIC PRINTS AND THE LIKE Application 1ed- August 20, 1928, Serial No. 300,845, and in Great Britain November 24, 1927.

-This invention has reference to apparatus for developing photographic prints and the like,and has for its object to produce afmachine which will develop the whole surface f5 of the print by a rubbing action and issue the printin a finished condition.y c

According to this invention, in one construction of this machine, I may employ two adjustable gripping rollers geared together for gripping the paperas it is fed into the machine. Arranged in advance of these gripping rollers are two developing `or rubbing rollers, geared togetherl and revolving in contrary directions, the one in advance is in lined bearings and the rear one, although it maybe mounted in fixed bearings also, is preferably linked to be lowered orraised coneentrically with the other, which movement maybe controlled by a suitable pawl 20 or a time` regulating device in the form of a dashpot.v The developing rollers, to which .is applied the necessary chemical with which the paper is treated asit passesv through the machine, bear upon an `endless band passing '25 around the lower gripping roller and around a vroller mounted in front of said developing rollers, along which band the paper travels as it passes through the machine. The peripheral velocity Aof the developing rollers 3o is greater than they mot-ion of` the endless hand.

In another construction of machine I employ two adjustable gripping rollers geared together, and arrange in advance of these gripping rollers one developing roller, suitably geared, bearing upon anvendless band passing around the lower gripping` roller, an d around a roller mounted in front of said developing roller, the peripheral velocity of this gripping roller being greater than the motion of said endless band.

Arranged in front ofthe developing roller is whatvI term a damper or Hat developer made or covered with a majz'ierial capable of absorbing the necessary chemical with which the paper is treated. This damper is mounted so as to enable it to be raised and lowered either by hand or automatically and when in operation bears upon the endless band.

In both these constructions of the machine I may dispense with the gripping rollers and feed the print directly under the devel oping roller mounted in fixed bearings.

In orderVV to completely neutralize the action of any chemical remaining on the surface of the paper, I may employ a pad, roller or endless band saturated with clean water and so arranged that it will automatically wipe'over thesurface of the developed print. In such an arrangement I may also provide a method er methods whereby the soiled water is discharged from the pad, roller or endless band and replaced by clean water. Further to ensure a plentiful supply oi' clean water in cases where the endless band will not carry sullicient by reason or' its tension or otherwise, I attach to said band suitable water carriers which may consist of an absorbent material, one side of which `isattached to the band and the other free.

In order that the invention may be clearly understood, I have appended the accom. panying drawings. i Fig. lis a side elevation showing the machine With two adjustable gripping rollers and an automatically operated pawl for controlling the movable developing roller.

Fig. 2 is a similar view to Fig. l showing the movable roller controlled by a dashpot.

Fig. 3 is a side elevation showing the machine with a Hat movable developer or damper, in place of the movable roller, controlled byk a pawl. c

Fig. 4 is a similar view to Fig. 2 showing the movable developer controlled by a dashpot. l

Fig. 5 is a side elevation of a simplified form ofthe machine showing the movable developing roller controlled by a pawl.

Fig. 6 is asimilar view to Fig. 5 showing LONDON, ENGLAND, ASSIGNOR TO B. J. HALL & COMPANY, y, LTD., 0F LONDON, ENGLAND the movable developing roller controlled by a i' dashpot. i Y l Fig. 7 is a side elevation of a simplified form of the machine showing ya flat movable developer or damper, in place of the movable trolled by a dashpot.

developing roller, controlled by an automatifcally operated pawl.

Figs. 9 and 10 show diagramniatically two methods for neutralizing the action of any chemical remaining on the print as it issues trom the fixed developer.

Referring to Fig. 1, 1 represents the fixed rubbing or developing roller which revolves in the same direction as the continuous band 2, but at a slightly greater speed. Geared to the roller 1 is the movable rubbing or developing roller 3, which revolves in the opposite direction to roller 1. rIhis roller 3 is shown in dotted lines in its raised position at 3, being gradually iowered troni this position when the print is being fed into the machine by the pawl i which engages with the teeth ot' the gear wheel on the roller 1. rlhe print to be developed is fed into the machine between the adjustable gripping rollers 5.

The modus operandi is as follows:

Then the machine is started, the roller 3 is in the position shown in dotted lines at 8. T he print is fed between the gripping rollers passing under roller 1, and as roller 1 revolves, roller 3 is gradually lowered by the action oiI pawl d onto the paper, the pawl subsequently slips from notch to notch of the gear wheelon roller 1 and remains out of action so tar as concerns the control of roller 3 until the print has passed through the Inachine. Non" as the grip on the print between roller i and the band 2 is greater than the grip between roller 3 and said band 2, the print is caused to travel forward at the speed of such band 2 and is consequently rubbed in a contrary sense by both rollers, whereby the chemical carried by both rollers develops the print. It will thus be seen at the commencement that development is completed by roller 1 and at the finish that development is completed by roller 3, consequently the whole sheet is most eiiectively covered with the developing solution.

ii'ihen the print has passed through the machine, roller 3 is again raised into position 8 by lever 8, and this action stops the machine ready for the insertion of the next print.

The machine shown by Fig. 2 is similar in opci-atio?!A shcwn by Fig. 1, with the exception that the roller 3 is controlled by the action ot dashpot 6, which dashpot is so timed that when the machine is started a suiticient interval will elapse before Vsaid roller 3 Vreturns to `its operative position thus admitting the ci the print to be developed. K

At Fig. 3 I have shown a machine similar in all respects to Fig. 1, with the exception that in place ot a movable rubbing roller 3, I employ what I terni a damper 9. This damper 9 which bears upon the endless band 2 has a rubbing vaction on the print, as it passes through the machine similarly to the action of theroller 3 and is held in its raised position by the pawl 4.

The machine illustrated by Fig. 4 shows the damper 9 controlled by the dashpot 6, which is timed to permit said damper 9 to return to its operative position as soon as the print has passed under roller 1.

At Fig. 5 I have shown a simplified form of the machine in which I dispense with gripping rollers 5 and feed the print directly under the developing or rubbing roller 1, the movable rubbing or developing roller 3 being controlled in its inoperative position by the pawl 4 The operation of this machine is similar to those in which gripping rollers are employed.

Fig. 6 also shows a machine in which the gripping rollers 5 are dispensed with, but in this case, lthe movable developing roller 3 is controlled by the dashpot 6.

At Fig. 7 I have shown a machine in which the gripping rollers are dispensed with, and in place of the movable rubbing or developing roller 3, I employ a damper 9 and this damper 9 is held in its inoperative or raised position by the pawl 4. The operation of this machine is similar in action to the machine shown by Fig. 5.

The machine illustrated by Fig. 8 is identical with the machine shown by Fig. 7, excepting that the damper 9 is maintained in its raised or inoperative position by the dashpot 6.

At Figs. 9 and 10, I have shown diagrammatically `two examples of the endless band arrangement consisting of an endless band 10 arranged on roller 11, and so disposed that the prints on leaving roller 1, Vand passing along continuons band 2 will be gripped between band 10, which is travelling slightly faster than the print, and by preference between a suitable interceptor 12, which vforms a rubbing plate, the object o which is to prevent. band 2 being wetted by water. The band 10 takes up clean Water from tank 13, and distributes itvover the surface of the print by contact with this interceptor 12. The chemical with which said band 1() has now become charged is discharged into tank 14 by means ofthe squeegee rollers 15.

In order to ensure that the band 10 carries a suiiicient supply of clean water I may provide said band with suitable Water carriers which may consist of an absorbent material 16 suspended from said band as shown by Fig. 9.

IVhat I claim as my invention and desire to'secure by Letters Patent is 1. An apparatus ofthe character described comprising means for moving a sensitized sheet, two developer applying members arranged to contact in succession with the sensitized surface of the` sheet, both of said memn bershaving a rubbing action on the sheet, the iirst member being mounted for-movement to 4and yfrom said means, and means for delaying the movement of said first member toward the first named'means.

2. An apparatus of the characterl described comprising means for moving a sensitized sheet, two developer applying members arranged to contact in succession with the sensitized surface of said sheet,-the second memberhaving a motion forwardly vwith reference to said means faster than the sheet, the first member being mounted for movement to and from said means, and means for delaying the movement of said first member toward the first named means.

3. An apparatus of the character described comprising an endless band mounted for circuitous movement and adapted to move a sensitized sheet, two developer applying members arranged to contact in succession with the sensitized surface of a sheet moving with said band, both of said members having a rubbing action on the sheet, the first member being mounted for movement to and from said band, and means for delaying the movement of said first member toward the band.

4. An apparatus of the character described comprising an endless band mounted for circuitous movement and adapted to move a sensitized sheet, two developer applying members arranged to contact in succession with the sensitized surface of a sheet moving with said band, both of said members having a rubbing action onthe sheet, the first member being mounted for movement to and from said band, and means for delaying the movement of said first member toward the band, the second member being movable forwardly faster than the band.

5. An apparatus of the character described comprising means for moving a sensitized sheet, a. movable developer member arranged to contact with the sensitized surface of a sheet moving with said means, another developer member mounted for movement into and out of a position to contact with said sensitized surface, and means for delaying the movement of the secondnamed member toward the firstnamed means controlled by the movement of the firstnamed member.

6. An apparatus of the character described comprising means for moving a sensitized sheet, a rotary developer member arranged to contact with the sensitized surface of a sheet moving with said means, another developer member mounted for movement to and from a position to contact with said sensitized surface, and means for delaying the movement of the secondnamed member toward the firstnamed means controlled by the rotary movement of the first named member. Y

7. An apparatus of the character described comprising means for moving a sensitized sheet, a rotary developer member arranged to contact with the sensitized surface of a sheet moving with said means, another developer member mounted for movement to and from a position to contact with said sensitized surface, and means for delaying the movement ran ed to contact with the sensitized surface of t e sheet and movable to and from said means, and means for delaying the movement of said member toward the first named means.

9. An apparatus of the character described comprising an endless band mounted for circuitous movement and adapted to move a sensitized sheet, a developer applying member arranged to contact with the sensitized surface of a sheet moving with said band and mounted for movement to and from said band, and means for delaying the movement of said member toward said band.

10. An apparatus of the character described comprising means for moving a sensitized sheet, a movable developer member arranged to contact with the sensitized surface of a sheet moving with said means, and means for delaying the movement of said member toward the firstnamed means controlled by the movement of the firstnamed means.

11. An apparatus of the character described comprising means for moving a sensitized sheet, a developer member mounted for movement to and from a position to contact with said sensitized sheet, and means for delaying the movement of said member toward the firstnamed means including a pawl movable with said member and a gear wheel operable with the firstnamed means and arranged for the engagement of said pawl to hold said member away from the firstnamed means until said gear wheel is rotated a predetermined amount.

12. An apparatus of the character described comprising means for moving a sensitized sheet, developer applying means cooperable with the firstnamed means, a fixed member at the delivery portion of the firstnamed means and arranged fer the movement of the sheet across said member, and an endless band mounted for circuitous movement and moving along said member for washing the sensitized surface of said sheet.

In testimony whereof I have signed my name to this specification.

BENJAMIN JAMES HALL.

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